Immortalis
by Quidell
Summary: Kept far away from the real workings of Thanos' army, a young, child-like girl is forced to live a naive seclusion under Thanos' rule. But when visitors force their way into her solitude and take her far away from her ignorant haven, she needs to learn and come to terms with her newly educated world or fall victim to it's never ending cruelty.
1. 1 Naive

My nerves always got the best of me when I knew he was coming to visit. When I become nervous, my hands start to sweat, and my concentration dwindles to the point I find the most menial of chores to be a challenge with how clumsy I get.

Even gathering simple ingredients for a simple breakfast was a challenge. By mid-morning, I'd given up on my chores and sat outside in the sand, watching the waves push up against my feet before falling back into the vast water my little island was surrounded by. By midday, he should be here, and the excitement of finally seeing him after fifty-two days was overwhelming. The more I thought about it, the more I giggled when it became too much to handle and just bubbled through me.

One such giggle had my crunching my toes into the sand and hugging my arms around my body to try and contain the excitement. And it was at that moment when he had finally come.

"I see this island has been kind to you, little one."

His voice resounded behind me, startling in a way that I flew onto my feet without even caring that the little white dress I was wearing was covered in sand and was bunched high on my thighs as I bound across the short distance where he finally resided in front of my cottage wearing his civilian clothes.

He towered in height, and it always took me a moment to remember how tall this purple giant was, and how he made my cottage look ever so small every time he visited.

When I closed the distance by half, he descended down onto one knee, letting me know my affections were warranted.

When I was close enough, I jumped the remaining two feet and wrapped my arms around his neck and nuzzled my cheek against his.

"I missed you, father. I missed you so much!" I chortled into his neck, and in return for my enthusiasm, I got an answering hum.

"You're excitement upon seeing me each time I come to visit is a marvel I always look forward to, my child."

I laughed and squeezed his neck even tighter. The hand that lay on my back pulled me closer into a tighter hug and moved to rest on my hip while his left hand replaced the one on my back. It was a rare occasion for him to show this much affection toward me, and I couldn't help but revel in the hug by squeezing him as tightly as I could.

"I'm sure Ebony Maw would show the same amount of excitement upon seeing you after so long, Father." I let out a giggle at the image it conjured. "'Rejoice, for Father is here! Rejoice, for our savior has arrived!'" I mimicked in my best Ebony Maw voice, giggling as Father pulled me from his form and set me back down on the sand before him, both hands gripping my shoulders.

"But perhaps he wouldn't hug you," I teased, giggling yet again at the image of Ebony Maw throwing his arms around Father and tittering like how I was now.

"Perhaps not," Father hummed, his smile soft as he gazed upon me from his height. Even kneeling on one knee, he still towered over me. "But my visit today was not to discuss Ebony Maw's enthusiasm, as you know, little one."

"I know." Again, elation bubbled through me, and it began to grow ever increasingly hard not to wiggle in excitement. "You said you bore a gift?"

A physical gift from Father was rare. Usually, he'd send over writings through our communication tablet every week for me to read. It'd help with my boredom, and he knew I sometimes grew lonely between each of his visits, so he'd made sure I was well taken care of with some entertainment. Usually, in writings, because I'd always requested them. The last writings I got from him was one about starships and the latest top-notch cruiser, the Valkyrie, as the writings called it. I was still waiting for him to send me the writings on what went into making said starship, but he hadn't had time to obtain the blueprints, as he called them.

"I did," he confirmed. He stood up to his full height with one hand still lightly clutching my shoulder before continuing, "But first, there was something you wanted to show me, did you not? Something you've learned?"

This time I didn't contain my excitement. I grabbed his hand that was on my shoulder and held it in both of mine in front of me as I began jumping up and down. "Stay right here! It will only take a moment."

When I turned away from him, I heard him chuckling at my antics as I took a couple of steps away from him and turned back toward his figure. "It isn't perfect yet, but each day I can hold it for a little longer."

And with that, I clapped my hands. All too familiar energy buzzed down through my arms and escaped when my hands collided with one another, and it was then that I reached out to that escaped energy and grasped onto it, morphing it into my desired shape.

They flapped around me, little white energy butterflies, leaving trails of sparkling magic behind them as they moved. Father watched them with what looked like interest before taking a step forward and reaching out to one of my butterflies. It landed in his outstretched hand and fluttered a couple more times before disappearing completely when I no longer could grasp the energy.

He closed his hand when it disappeared like he was trying to catch the magic. He looked up at me with what I thought was fascination.

"If only I could find someone with similar abilities to teach you properly. Instead, you are left to learn alone, and for that, I am sorry."

"That is okay. I think I'm doing good on my own so far. Do you not agree?" Again, I felt nervous. I'd hoped he would be glad to see my improvement, but maybe it wasn't enough. When he leaves, I need to put more effort into learning how to control my abilities, so Father would be proud of me.

"On your own, you are doing well." My smiled swelled at the compliment, and again I found myself trying to contain my emotions, so I stood there, twirling my body back and forth, but kept my feet planted and my hands clasped behind my back as I waited for him to continue. "The situation can not be helped," he began as he took a single step forward and placed his hand on my back to guide me back inside into my little cottage, "I have not been able to locate a teacher who'd be willing to teach you more, little one. Your abilities are unique, and unlike anything I've seen across the galaxy. However, I do feel there is lost potential."

But it couldn't be helped. I knew that. But still hearing him say it like that had me deflating. Again, when he left, I'll work even harder to better myself.

"Which brings me to my gift." He guided me into the cottage and over to the wooden table I had set up for food. There, I sat at one of the chairs, and he kneeled again beside me. And when I looked down at my wooden table, there was a book that wasn't there this morning sitting directly in front of me.

"Open it and let me know what you see."

When I looked back up toward him, he was looking at me with an intensity I'd never seen him bear before. Turning my eyes quickly back toward the book, I reached my hand toward the cover, and run my fingers over it. The cover was a pretty blue, worn like a well-used and loved book, and had symbols on the front I did not recognize. My finger curled under the side of the cover, and I turned it over to reveal the first page, then turned the next page while glancing over the symbols, my translator firing into gear as the symbols soon morphed to words I could read.

After looking through a couple of pages with my Father waiting patiently for me to digest what I was seeing, I finally spoke my question, "A spellbook?"

"Yes. From what Abony Maw was able to decipher, it is a spellbook of Life." He reached over and traced one of the pages with his large fingers. "With the nature of your powers, I thought there might have been a link. Was I mistaken?"

"I-I don't know," I spoke softly, feeling, yet again, my excitement blossoming in my chest. I grabbed the sides of the book and pulled it toward me, then, without thinking, I jumped down from the chair opposite Father and ran outside.

He didn't speak of my antics this time around, but he followed me back outside with that same serious expression on his face. I paid little heed to him, however, as I walked in a circle reading the first lesson of the book.

"It says if I chant these words..." I trailed off, reading the instructions in my head silently, before continuing more for my benefit than Fathers, "then, move my energy in a way...depositing in my fingertips and not my palms...at the same time…"

Again, without much thought to my actions, I ran back to Father and handed him my gift. "Hold on to this, please, Father. I don't want the sand to touch it."

He took it without a word, and I moved back a little ways away and positioned a hand palm up into the air. It was then that I chanted what the book spoke of, channeling my energy to my fingertips, allowing some fingers to receive more energy than the others, and watched my hand glow.

After a moment, the glow receded, and I found my Father making his way back toward me. He grabbed my wrist and looked at what I did, his eyes growing only slightly wider from surprise.

In my palm was a white, crystal Rose. Unlike my butterflies from before, this trick had a tangible form. Something anyone can touch, including Father when I slide it into his waiting palm.

When he didn't say anything, I explained, "I was already on my way to learn this. It's similar to that butterfly trick I did before. But instead of letting the magic expand from my hands when I clap them together and latching onto it when I am no longer touching it, I latched onto it at my fingertips and formed the Crystal's from-

"Your own blood. Your magic had fed from your flesh and used it to create a tangible form," he finished for me. His eyes locked onto mine, and again he gave me a look I could not decipher. "Did it hurt?"

"It was only a sting," I replied with the best reassuring smile I could create. "I barely felt it, I was too excited."

"Do not let your excitement get in the way of rational thinking. I do not wish to find you dead because you foolishly let your curiosity get the better of you." His voice was stern and unyielding, and I nodded to his command.

"Of course, Father."

"Good. What you have accomplished just now far exceeded my expectations, little one," he said with a warming smile. He handed me the book and turned to a specific page. "I was not expecting to see results until my next visit, and even then, I did not expect to see a mastery of the first spell in this book. I am rather impressed, daughter."

I beamed at his words, leaning into his touch when he clasped my left shoulder.

"There is one spell in particular that intrigues me," he began when he pointed at the page he turned to with his other hand. "If you master this spell"-be locked his eyes to mine-"I will be in your debt for all eternity."

Those words shook me. Father had to keep a firm grip on my shoulder so I wouldn't topple over from his proclamation.

Elation like no other shot through me, slithering down my spine and bringing with it an overwhelming sensation of longing that crippled all other emotions within me. It never occurred to me how much I needed to hear him say something in that nature to me. How much I desired his acceptance.

I could be useful.

I could finally be useful to Father like sister Gamore and sister Nebula. Maybe then I could leave this island and travel the universe by Father's side.

There was so much to see…

...and so many people to meet.

Glancing down at the writings, I scanned through the first couple of pages and frowned, finally finding my voice to speak again after that surprising revelation.

"But, Father, why this spell?" I asked, watching as he patiently waited for me to continue. I licked my lips and looked back down at the text before continuing with, "You're the strongest in this universe. How would this spell help you in any way?"

"Because to obtain absolute balance, sacrifices must be made. I do not know what those sacrifices will entail, but I do know I will need to prepare for the worst possible outcome. This will help if that worst possible outcome comes to pass."

He rarely speaks about this mission of his, but when he did speak of it, or when any of my sisters and brothers spoke of it, it was always the same statement. My Father sought balance in the universe, and was going to great lengths to achieve such balance, planet by planet; he made many enemies, it was one of the reasons why I was stuck on this island, because if anyone knew who I was or what I did, they would want to hurt me because I wasn't strong enough.

And it wasn't like I could ever say no to him. He saved me from death. I owed him my life.

"Okay. I will try, Father."

Father grinned. "I knew you would not disappoint me, daughter."

**Author's note: please excuse any spelling and grammar errors as I wrote this all on my phone.**


	2. 2 Far, Far Away

_His stare grounded me when I skipped through the entrance after seeing he had arrived unexpectedly. Giddy to see Father visiting me and Ebony Maw without any prior notice. It was the first time he gave me such a stare, but I knew it meant he wasn't in the mood for my usual antics. _

_The look drained whatever excitement I had knowing he was there on my little island, and it took a lot of willpower not to cry outright from his penetrating glare alone. Even when I did stop before leaping toward him in my overbearing exhilaration upon seeing him, he still frowned in my general direction. Like I did something wrong. Something terrible._

_I had to look away so he wouldn't see my tears. Ebony Maw had once told me Father wasn't keen on seeing my tears. I translated that to him thinking I was weak when I cried. Father and Ebony Maw always spoke of how weak I was for the outside world. That I needed to be strong like Sister Gamora if I wanted to survive._

_"_Your heart is too soft." _Father had once told me the last time he'd visited. _"The universe I live in is too cruel for someone of your nature, little one. You will sympathize with the ones who wish to oppose me, and I cannot let that happen. Do you understand?"

_I didn't understand, but I still nodded my head regardless. _

"One day you will understand, and I hope you will be here still, as you are when that time comes."

_Those last words he spoke to me confused me immensely. Where else would I be but here?_

_When I asked Ebony Maw what he had meant, he had told me when I reached twenty seasons, he'd tell me. _

_But that was a whole twelve seasons away, and I probably wouldn't remember by then, so I ended up pouting for the rest of the day, which in turn made Ebony Maw leave two days earlier than planned, leaving me alone for an entire month._

_Was Father angry with me because I had pouted?_

_Maybe the next time he would visit, I would try to restrain myself. Wait and see what mood he was in before advancing. But, just seeing his ship when I'd arrived back from gathering food sent me into a frenzy. I had to see him._

_He was my everything._

_...and I also needed to tell him to send me more star writings. The one he sent me before piqued my interest immensely._

_So, I ran through the back entrance into my cottage and when I saw him standing there with Ebony Maw, discussing whatever it was that bigger people discuss, fully clothed in his golden armor and looking larger than life, I'd giggled excitedly as soon as my eyes had locked onto his immense form like I usually had done in the past. But when he'd saw me running toward him with open arms, his eyes had narrowed, and his face had hardened._

_He continued his conversation while still staring at me with that look in his eyes. "Perhaps we can put it to a test. A little game to see what it can do. But differently than our usual teachings."_

_Ebony Maw bowed deeply. "Of course, Father. You can place your trust upon me in conquering this _endeavor_." Now Ebony Maw was looking toward me with contemplation when he stood at his full height again like I was one of those puzzle boxes to be solved that Father gifted me last season._

_I did not know what they were talking about, and their intense stares made me wiggle in my spot. Their gaze upon my little frame was so heavy, I wouldn't be able to take it for much longer._

_"But first," Father began and walked toward me, his armor clinking as he moved. There, he stood in front of me and continued as he stared down at me over his nose, "Look toward me, child. Do not cower your face when I am speaking."_

_My head snapped up toward his while my squirming intensified. What did I do wrong? I didn't understand._

_"Do you know why you are here?" He motioned around him, his eyes momentarily following his movement as they looked upon something beyond the inside of my little cottage. Then his eyes landed back on me, his arms settling to his sides once more. "Sanctioned to this island," he carried on, "With no communication from and to the outside world?"_

_There was no room for argument with the tone he used. He expected a direct answer, one without hesitation from me._

_But I still hesitated. "B-because I-I'm weak."_

_"And why do you believe you are weak?"_

_"B-because I cry too much. Because my heart is too soft." I actually didn't know what it meant to have a soft heart, so I only repeated what he had once told me in the past, knowing this soft heart if mine was a weakness he didn't care for._

_The times I was tested by Ebony Maw, he always concluded after the painful experience that my heart was too soft, too open. That I wouldn't fit in Thanos' dream of obtaining balance in the universe. When Ebony Maw told me this . . . I felt so useless. So unwanted._

_All I wanted from that day forward was to be useful to the giant who saved me._

_"And that is what you believe." His eyes searched mine, looking back and forth between my irises. Like he was trying to decipher a riddle; trying to come to some sort of conclusion. _

_And then something shifted within his eyes. It didn't feel natural, but I didn't have any room to question it._

_However, I did notice it and even felt the change in the air around us._

_He suddenly smiled and kneeled before me. My breath escaped me quickly at the action, and I didn't know if this was an invention to hug him like I'd done so in the past. And the more I thought about it, the more I remembered how he was always kneeling when I would run toward him with the intention of hugging him._

_I didn't have much time to contemplate my next move because he was moving before I could make a decision on the matter. Both of his large hands cupped the sides of my head, his thumbs grazing over my redden checks as he regarded me with warm eyes._

_He had never touched me before. Not even when I hugged him did he ever hug me back. Not fully._

_The tenderness I suddenly saw in his eyes had me choking. He was always kind to me in the past. Bringing me gifts, telling me stories. But never had I seen him show me this much tenderness before. It almost felt like…_

_"Then we will turn this perceived weakness of yours into a strength. Show me what it means to be my daughter, child."_

_What came after changed everything. My Father showed me a new side of him, and in return, I showed him my worth._

The memory brought a warmth of fondness whenever I thought of it. It was a simple memory, one that could easily have been overshadowed with grandeur memories if I so chose, but I could never forget the look in Father's eyes when I was finally able to show my worth to him. How he looked upon me with meaning. With understanding.

With _acceptance._

That memory always brought a smile to my face, and I needed that smile. That warmth.

I was cold and hungry, and lonelier than I ever had been before.

Four days.

Four days I have been held captive. Four days I was taken from my home. Tied up against my will, and dragged away from my haven, my home, my life. Held against my will. Bearing truth on what Ebony Maw had once told me: that I was weak. Too weak for the outside world.

Hopeless without Father.

My captors never said a word to me. They came barging into my home, captured me while I was making dinner, and dragged me onto their ship screaming. My fear got the better of me. No other person has ever touched me other than Father, even Ebony Maw refrained from touching me, using his powers to keep my wandering arms at bay when I got overly excited. So, when two strange men put their hands on me, I froze. Fear gripped every nerve ending in my body, immobilizing me and making it easier for my captors to drag me away.

Far, far away.

I could still feel their hands on my arms as they tied them behind my back. On my legs as they tied them together, too. How the sand rubbed against my face and clung to the tears when they dragged me into their old, decrepit ship. Nothing like what Father flew. Father ship was grand, efficient, and new. My captors' ship looked ancient and not well taken care of.

The floor I laid on was covered in filth and smelled salty and rotten. The first day I was thrown in here, still tied and unable to move, I puked from the stretch alone.

And that was where I continued to lie, unable to move, for four days straight.

I was weak, and I was hungry and thirsty. And I was tired of crying. Even if I wanted to cry, I no longer had the strength to let out a sniffle.

The ship was small, maybe five-hundred square feet at best, and all open space. The cockpit where my two captors sat for most of the time was in clear view of my cell, to the right was their sleeping quarters, two beds stacked over one another, and to the left was where their kitchenette stood with a small, one-person table. The ship wasn't made for more than one individual and wasn't meant for long-distance travel. The little area near the bedding, which thankfully had a door, held a toilet, but no shower. It was the only room separate from the open area of the ship.

And then in the back of the ship was my cell, where I spent most of my time.

They haven't given me a shred of food to eat, but I did get some water. And when I needed to use the bathroom, they obliged.

However, when I tried to speak to them about anything other than a drink of water or a bathroom break, I was promptly ignored.

One of my captors was a Krylorian. His skin was a beautiful pink hue with eyes to match but was tarnished by the amount of dirt caked onto his skin, like he hadn't taken a bath for weeks. Considering how long it took to get to where we were headed in the compact ship, it didn't surprise me. His clothes were well worn but taken care of with a lot of trinkets attached to his belt and collar. Sometimes I would find him staring at me, and when our eyes would meet, he'd quickly look away.

He always looked sad when I caught him staring.

His companion was an Easik. His prominent squamous skin and blue slit-shaped eyes gave him away. Here wore a similar outfit to his companion, but the material was smother looking and had a light sheen to it and pockets sewn into every exposed area of his outfit. He never looked at me. Never spoke to me, and gave no indication he knew I even existed.

To me, that was better than the sad eyes of the Krylorian.

When they did speak to one another, it was about normal, everyday things. What they were going to do after this job, what they were going to do with the money, what was their next meal, the next "fix", whatever that meant. Most of it was hushed, but I could still hear them. It wasn't any information I could use against them. And even the information I did overhear meant anything, I was in no place to do anything about it.

I had never felt this weak before.

Today should be the last day on this ship, from what I could hear from their hushed whispers last night. Then they would trade me to their client.

I no longer had the strength to feel any emotion on the matter.

"Marthze," the Krylorian spoke, turning his head from the cockpit window to look at his companion, "should we really-"

"Phil. Don't. Not in front of the girl," the Easik, Marthze, chastised, clearly not pleased with whatever conversation the Krylorian, Phil, was trying to bring up.

"Right. A girl. She only a girl, Marthze. She hasn't done a damn thing since we got her. She ain't like the rest of 'em."

"Doesn't mean she ain't as deadly."

"Why don't ya think about it, Marthze," Phil's voice rose, clearly getting agitated. "We went to that planet to nab someone's prized treasure. Or so we were told. We went there expectin' an object. And when we got there, we found her." Phil turned his gaze forward again, watching the stars pass as we flew past them at warp speed. "She were cloaked on that planet. She threw a pan at my face, not a dagger, and she cried when we gone and nabbed her. Hardly put up a fight. She just a girl, Marthze. Just a kid."

"So? A girl, a woman, an object? What's the difference? Still money either way. A lot of money."

"It ain't right, and you know it."

"Nothing ain't right, Phil. Who to say what we are doing now ain't right? Who to say fucking a Dire Wraith ain't right? Who to say?"

"Now I know that ain't right. You know damn well having any sort of relationship"-Phil gagged, his face flashing with horrified disgust, bugging his eyes out-"with those things ain't right." He shook his head like he was trying the shake the image it conjured from his mind, then he slapped his hand over his mouth as he gagged again. "And you know damn well this ain't right," he wheezed out, finally composing himself and whipping his band on his black outfit. "We should have never set foot on that planet when we saw her. We should have left well enough alone."

"Where the fun in that? I told you what would happen, what it meant if we went through with this. I told you there was no going back when we went down there. You can't back down now. It too late, Phil."

"But I wasn't feelin' what I feel now, Marthze. This isn't right. My feelings change, Marthze."

"It's too late, Phil. We almost at Knowhere. There, we will make the exchange. We already told our client what we got. No backing out now."

Phil shook his head and stood up suddenly out of irritation. When he turned around, our eyes locked, and he froze like he forgot I was in the same room as him.

He wanted to help me. That much I knew, but I was too tired to care. I needed food.

I just _needed_ . . .

"Hey Marthze," Phil began, his voice sounding alarmed, "she ain't looking too good. I thought humans could go days without eating."

"She fine. Better she not eat. The weaker she is, the easier the exchange will be."

Phil took a step toward me. "Yeah, but she looks really bad, Marthze."

"We'll be in Knowhere soon. After we make the ex-"

And that was when the ship came to a complete stop, forced out of hyperspace with everything inside careening forward from the force and unexpectant stop. Phil took the brunt of the force, with him standing up and was no longer buckled into the co-pilot seat, he went flying into the front cockpit window. Marthze braced himself in his seat, cursing all the while, and hitting random buttons on his console.

Phil groaned from the front, slowly pushing himself back up and turning over to lean against the glass. "Wa'happened?" he moaned, clutching his forehead as pink blood seeped from under his hand and down his dirty face. When he pulled his hand from his forehead, he grimaced at the amount of blood on his hand.

Marthze was silent for a moment, then he gravely spoke, "That's why."

And everything went dark.

* * *

**Author's note: I should have added this to the last chapter but didn't: notice how I haven't explained what this girl looks like? Well, it's going to stay like that. This is sort of a reader-insert, minus the 2nd POV. **

**So, imagine her however you see fit. The only exception to this rule is her hair. She has long hair (and she obviously is a female).**

**The next chapter will showcase some familiar people (that isn't Thanos or his "family") so hope you look forward to that!**

**Quick question for you: I've only read maybe 5 MCU fics and I wanna ask...is there anything you see in other MCU fics all the time? Tropes you're tired of reading? Let me know in a review or PM and I'll try to avoid it in my fic.**

**And thank you to all the people who alerted and favorited, and the 1 review who pointed out a mistake I made. Toward the middle and end I accidentally had OC referring to Thanos as...Thanos...and not father for a couple of instances. **

**And one final note: I do apologize if you saw an update for this chapter yesterday . . . The second part that wasn't a flashback I did not care for after reading it again when it was published. If you read it for the couple of minutes it was up . . . I'm so sorry. That second part was really cringey.**

**I'm a huge fan of character development and hope you enjoy OC's journey through it all!**


	3. 3 Distress Signal

The ship was accommodating. Large enough to fit all the Asgadian folk without feeling cramped. However, the ship was not meant for extended warp speeds, but more for a luxury getaway across a section of a galaxy, like a cruise across the ocean Midgardians liked to partake in. It would do, especially under the circumstances, the Asgardian people found themselves in. Losing their home, their world, was devastating. Crippling even considering beforehand most of their fighters were slaughtered, leaving behind widows and widowers and their families.

But even the Asgardian citizens were fighters. Their morale may have been low, but they would never give up hope and never surrender to their darker thoughts. It wasn't in their nature, and Thor couldn't help but feel proud to be their newly appointed King.

When all was settled after their escape, his people broke off into groups, assigning new roles to individual people with Brunnhilde overseeing the assigning.

Just watching them work and make the most of their situation was inspiring. He could do this with his people backing him. He could be king.

But he still had his doubts if he was worthy. He still found himself gripping the air for Mjolnir, habitually seeking that validation of worthiness. He did not deny his obsession of authenticating his role. He knew it was an ailment in his character, but knowing is half the battle; the hardest part was accepting the hard truth. The second half would be easier to accomplish, especially with his people accepting him so readily without complaint.

He was truly, undoubtedly proud of them all.

When a week had passed on the ship, things began to settle down. Everyone had a role to play, and they played it well. Brunnhilde helped a lot with keeping Thor updated on everything that went on within the ship, her logistics proving sounds. Banner proved rather useful when caring for the wounded. Thor heard some interesting stories from the healers, most notably his insistence in learning their technology-which didn't surprise Thor-and they were more than happy to oblige his curiosity after seeking council with Thor when the laws of his forebearers were put into question in which Thor dictated that they were no longer on Asgard, so therefore this law was forfeit until New Asgard was established. Within a few days they grew fond of both his thirst for knowledge and willingness to help.

His newly acquainted friend, Korg, a Kronan warrior who looked more like a pile of rocks with clothes slapped on as a jest than an actual living thing, had a surprisingly soft spot for children. He kept them entertained, oddly enough. Letting them climb atop of him, and they grew quite fond of his storytelling. And Miek, his Sakaaran companion, which he suspected the kids mistook for a pet than an actual intelligent being-he wouldn't dare correct their assessment of him because he suspected Miek liked the head pats-also entertained the kids with as much zealous as Korg.

And then there was Loki.

"Isn't this exciting, brother," Loki jabbered from his station next to Thor logistics table Brunnhilde helped set up for him in his chambers of events that needed his review or approval. Loki was looking at one particular datapad that took stock over what rations they had on the ship, his features stoic as ever, and giving nothing away of what he was truly thinking. Or plotting, as Thor liked to put it.

"Voyaging through space," he continued flippantly, "having lost our homeworld. Destroyed by a long lost sister you never even knew existed. All our warriors dead because of said sister." Loki turned toward his brother, dropping the datapad on the table as he continued his casual tirade with that annoying little mocking smile of his, "Tell me, brother, how does it feel to finally be crowned King over a now dying race with no homeworld, a homeworld you destroyed, might I add, and no guaranteed future for our people? Hoping on a misplaced whim that your beloved Earth will adopt us like lost little children and forget all transgressions I, and you, have committed on the Midgardian people, hm?"

Loki, Thor's adopted brother, had disappeared the first week everyone was getting settled in, skipping out on being assigned any sort of role. Thor figured he may have had taken an escape pod and left, but found that all the escape pods were still accounted for. So, Thor waited for him to show his face again, knowing full well that his brother was waiting for the opportune time to shove everything back in his face - it would not be in character for him not to do so.

And now was that time, apparently. Thor was able to retire early, earlier than usual over the last week. He had planned on taking an easy in his chambers, possibly even going to sleep early for a fresh start the following day. But when he'd entered his chambers, there stood Loki, standing over the logistics table, perusing over everything like he was the one in charge.

As his brother went on his usual tirade, Thor casually walked over to a table that had a pitcher of water, probably set there by Korg-good fellow-and sat down on a rather uncomfortable seat and then proceeded to pour himself a glass of water. There, he watched his brother do his usual word vomit, as Tony liked to call it when people monologue about useless details, and watched him over the rim of his glass, trying, yet failing, to not look so amused.

When his brother finally paused to give him his familiar skeptical scowl, Thor sat the glass down and smiled widely. "Oh, you're done? Good." Thor clasped his hands together and chuckled at the glower his brother now bestowed upon him. "Glad to see you're still your usual melancholy self, brother. Talking your usual nonsense like I think you mean any of it." Thor waved his hand flippantly through the air, then settled back into his uncomfortable chair, the ever-present smile gracing his features as he regarded his brother with his own skeptical smile. "Which I know you don't, by the way, in case you were wondering. Your actions have always spoken louder than your words, brother." Thor winked. The Midgardians definitely had an effect on the newly crowned King of Asgard.

"As for earth," Thor continued nonchalantly, "I would not doubt the Midgardians generosity, brother. I did save them countless times, as you are very well aware of, and the Asgardian people have done nothing to upset them. As for you, brother. I can't say what they'll do to you when we arrive. But I'll be sure to put in a good word on your behalf if"-Thor leaned forward, clasping his hands together again as he regarded his brother with dancing eyes-"you ask nicely."

Loki took the bait, leaning over and regarding his brother in growing rage that he poorly concealed behind his smirk. "You would side with those sniveling wrenches, wouldn't you. Well, let me break it down for you, brother"-he spat the word out, like venom on his tongue-"those weak cowards would use any excuse to cast you aside. If they allow us to take refuge on their planet, they'll look for any reason to turn against us. And it will happen, brother, mark my words. And based on their history, they are quite well-known for taking horrendous actions against what they believe to be different. They will see us as a threat."

Thor leaned back, still smirking. "That's where you're wrong, brother. The Midgardians are rather quick to learn. You should give them more credit. Besides, if memory serves"-Thor smirk only grew when he spoke his next words, knowing full well his brothers' feelings toward a certain friend of his-"it was a human who had stopped you when you invaded one of their cities. In fact, that exact human is here on this ship. You might remember him. Big, green, and angry with you?"

Loki visibly stiffened. "That imbecile who's fumbling around in the medbay?" Loki couldn't hide the disgust and offense at the mere mention of Thor's friend, his face scrunching up to show every emotion. "Don't make me laugh. If I wanted to-"

"Hello there."

Both brothers looked over toward the voice that interrupted Loki. Loki still fuming and looking like he was about to strike down whoever had dared to interrupt him, and Thor, who only appeared more amused at the turn of events. There stood Korg at the entrance of the room, waving his hand and looking awkward as usual.

"Sorry to interrupt your little family quarrel," Korg began, looking between the brothers and failing to notice the growing fury of the darker haired one. "I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on, and it looks like you are catching up quite nicely, might I add. Nothing wrong with brotherly bonding. I wish I had a brother to fight with, but I was an only child. Father died when I was young-"

"Just speak what you came here for!" Loki interrupted, clearly frustrated. Folding his hands behind his back like he was attempting to control himself from lashing out.

"Oh, yes. So, we have a little situation. Maybe not that little depending on how you look at"-Loki gave him a dark look-"uh, well, there's a ship nearby emitting a distress signal. It looks to be in pretty bad shape. That girl who isn't your girlfriend and can kick butt, sorry, I forgot her name already despite knowing her for years, and now I feel terrible - she wanted me to come to get you."

Thor stood up, amused at his brothers' frustration, and gave a reassuring nod to his rock friend. "Thank you, Korg. I'll head there now."

Loki followed him to the front of the ship, not uttering a word on the trip there. Thor paid him little heed, his mind wandering to the possible threat to his people.

Brunnhilde was looking at a monitor when he entered the ship's navigation room. She looked up as he approached. "The distress signal has been going off for sixteen hours." She went right into it, moving over so Thor could look at the monitor, too. "It doesn't look good." Thor admired that about her. She always got straight to the point.

Looking to the monitor that was zoomed in on the location of the ship, Thor saw what she had meant. The spaceship was torn in two, its life support dwindled down to a mere fifteen minutes before it ran out. The shield was keeping the occupants safe from the deadly forces of space but was draining their reserves immensely.

"Have you tried to hail them?" Thor asked.

"There was only static. The ship probably shut down all unnecessary power outlets to reserve as much energy for life support. However, with a biometric scan, we only saw three body counts."

"Did you hail Heimdall on his input?"

Brunnhilde raised an eyebrow. "Of course. He sends his apologies for being on the other end of the ship, but he confirmed that the occupants of the ship are harmless, King of Thunder."

Thor ignored the quip at the end and nodded. "Glad to see his indefinite nature hasn't changed. What do your Valkyrie instincts tell you? Should we take a chance and bring them in?"

She arched her eyebrow, again. "I'm sure we can handle three unruly quests if it comes down to it. We do have the god of thunder on our side." Her eyes then narrowed on Loki, who was standing off to the side, waiting for what was to come next. "And whatever he is."

Loki winked at her. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Thor ignored that exchange.

"Then what are we waiting for? Bring them in," Thor confirmed, looking at Brunnhilde as he gave the directive.

She smiled. "On our way, King."

The ship wasn't too far off from their destination, and in a matter of minutes, they had the ship docked in their cargo bay, and as soon as the pressure normalized, Thor and his healers, as well as Bruce Banner-who heard about the possibility of people needing medical attention and rushed over-Brunnhilde, and Loki-which Thor suspected Loki was only there for the show and gossip than to actually help-rushed into the room, all eyes trained on the small ship as the shield gave out with a mighty sputter, and the ship died of all its power.

They stopped in front of the ship, ways away, the healers staying farther back in case the situation was not what it seemed to be.

A figure emerged from the wreckage, jogging hastily out, and when it caught sight of them, hurriedly walked toward them.

The figure was carrying someone, and it was Bruce Banner who took a step forward from the other three first when he saw what the figure was carrying, worry etching his kind futures.

"Please, help! She needs help!" The figure pleaded-a pink-skinned guy who was missing half of his uniform, revealing perfectly clean skin from the waist up on his left side.

"Please," the man pleaded again, his eyes shining. "Please save her."

Bruce was the first to make it to the alien, his eyes trained on the girl he was carrying. Thor and Brunnhilde reached next as the former stayed back a ways to watch so she wasn't crowding in on the guy and the hurt girl.

The girl was unconscious. Her dress was torn and dirty, the original color indiscernible under all the crude. Her cheeks were hollowed, thin from malnourishment, and her long hair matted and tangled. She, too, was dirtied, soot covering every inch of her. But her breathing was strong. A very good sign.

"What happened?" Thor questioned as he watched Banner take the girl from the pink guys' arms and run off with her toward the healers with Brunnhilde on his heels. She gave a parting look toward Thor, but he nodded her off. He could handle this part.

"W-we were ambushed," the pink-lad began, his eyes wide from the shock he was still undoubtedly undergoing. "Our ship only has small guns, we didn't stand a chance -we jumped-but before we fully jumped they launched an attack and hit our ship-and when we jumped our ship fell apart-a fire started-and she-she…"

The man began to sob, grabbing his hair as he tried to come to terms with what he went through. Thor listened patiently, waiting for him to calm down a little before he pushed him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone else emerge from the wrecked ship, but wasn't too alarmed when the figure sat down just outside it, watching his shipmate talk to him with an unreadable expression. He, too, was missing a part of his sleeve, but the skin underneath it looked perfectly healthy. The healers that didn't run off with Banner were already on the new guy, but he was waving them off.

"She what? You're speaking of the girl, yes? The one you carried?" He clarified, trying to keep his story straight.

"Y-yes. Of course." His pink eyes looked straight at Thor's. They were pleading, but he also saw tremendous guilt in them, too. "She healed us. After we kidnapped her"-Thor stiffened at the word-"she healed us. Took our wounds from the blast and transferred them to her." He wasn't making sense, but Thor allowed him to continue his story, "And on her, they healed." He looked away, tears now streaming freely down his face. "But she got skinnier, like whatever she used to heal us ate at her." He looked at Thor again, begging with his eyes once more. "Please. Save her. She didn't have to heal us, but she did. She had enough energy to engage the distress signal on her own, but she used it on us." He grabbed at Thor's arm but did not dare to do more. "She didn't deserve any of this. She didn't…" he trailed off, stepping away from Thor and turning away. He was visibly sobbing now before he crumbled to the ground, crying.

Thor looked to his companion, who was still watching them, but with a more somber look. When Thor looked in the direction the healers ran off with the girl, deep in thought, he finally remembered Loki was there, too, looking in the same direction as he, and like he could sense Thor's stare, he looked back.

And for the first time in a long time, Thor saw genuine fear shining in his brothers' eyes, startling the King. "She needs to go," Loki spoke, his voice low and clipped. "If she stays on this ship, our lives will be forfeit."

* * *

**Author's note: I do apologize for the delay. I started eating low carb and got major brain fog for a couple of days, and those days were my editing days and I rather not edit or write when I have brain fog. Never goes well.**

**Hope you like my Loki! did anyone else find it strange how buddy-buddy Thor and Loki were in Ragnarok? Don't get me wrong, I loved that movie, but I did feel like Loki was added in as an afterthought, and the storyline would have gone the way it did without him. So, I think I'm gonna write Loki a little darker than Ragnarok Loki, and build upon that relationship we didn't see develop and just sort of happened off screen.**

**Also, I may edit the conversation in the beginning as I get more used to writing Loki. I think I got Thor down, but only you guys can tell me if that's true or not.**

**Also, I love Korg. FYI..**

**There will also be some banner and Loki time in future chapters ;)**

**Thank you to the people who reviewed and who followed/favorited this story!**


	4. 4 Secrets

"...I'm not being serious, brother. It was only a jest . . . Partly."

Thor's eyes withered over toward Loki, trying with all his might to rain in his exasperation. Loki was not making this easy, and Thor was finding it difficult to think through what had happened in the last hour or so on his ship with Loki pestering him every step of the way.

"For the last time, brother, I am not throwing someone in need of our assistance out the airlock."

Thor had just returned from the holding chambers, having just secured the two male shipwrecked companions in their holding cells until further notice. But before he left, he allowed their telling of what happened on their ship prior before docking. Thor could not simply forget about the kidnapping part of the earlier rushed explanation, despite the obvious regret shown on the Krylorian. The Easik of the two was more forthcoming with the details. Thor did have a hard time reading him, but he did sense unease. He couldn't tell if the unease was coming from the current situation, or the past; however, he suspected it was the current events with how easily he spoke about the happenings on the ship before docking on his.

The Krylorian, or Phil, a rather Midgardian name, Thor noted, still was in shock, apologizing profusely, over and over again, to the girl that was no longer in their presence. Thor wondered if his mind was still whole, or if he was still in shock. He hoped for the latter, considering his obvious regret and worry for a girl he hardly knew, despite how he was going to trade her to an unknown source for money-if he ended up doing it. Thor had his doubts he would have gone through with it.

And at every turn, Loki had made it clear he did not care for the shipwrecked girl that was in their care. But when Thor asked why he held great aversion for the girl, his brother became rather evasive on the matter.

It didn't take a genius to figure he was hiding something, but Thor could not fathom why unless Loki divulged in such details. Thor wasn't in the mood for Loki's antics. And he knew he would not get the information easily from Loki.

Why did Thor expect anything more from his trickster brother?

"Of course. That would mean certain death, and we would not want that. It wouldn't be proper or uphold to your hero ideology you'd developed on Midgard. But if we perhaps found her wandering into an escape pod, while she's still unconscious-some people do sleepwalk after all-and she just so happened to trip the autopilot, and floated off into space-no one would be none the wiser." Loki continued, unaware, or aware and ignoring Thor's eerie every step of the way. "As long as she's off this ship, I don't care how we do it. Or even how we say it happened."

"Brother." Thor stopped walking down a hallway that leads to the medbay. His next stop after depositing the other shipwrecked crew in the holding cell was the medbay to check on the girl, but the incessant badgering of his brother was grinding on his nerves. Loki halted a few steps away, unaware of Thor's sudden break from walking until Thor called out his name.

When Loki turned toward his brother, Thor didn't hide his agitation his brother provoked in him. "We are not going to get rid of her in any capacity until I have fully assessed the situation and ascertained that she is indeed a threat or not. If you have any say on my verdict, say so now or keep your silence. I will not entertain your half-truths or ambiguous explanations."

Thor's stare was hard and unyielding, waiting for Loki to make a decision, and to make one quickly. Thor meant what he'd said, he did not want to play one of his brothers games when there was even a sliver of a possibility his people were in danger from an unknown threat, but given Loki's reputation and past actions, he knew to take his word lightly when he was being his trickster, evasive self. For all Thor knew, she was one of the people Loki had wronged, and he was only trying to hide past transgressions that were not made known. Transgressions he wished to keep secret.

Loki tilted his head in regard, a mocking smile playing on the corner of his lips. "The word of your brother will not suffice?"

Thor lip tilted in the corner, but he quickly replaced it with a hard frown. He then continued to walk forward and past Loki, before pausing next to him, both brother facing the opposite direction, but neither one dared to look to one another when the tension ran so high.

"The last time I followed your words to heart, you left me abandoned and powerless in an unknown world. The other time I entertained your words, I thought you to be dead. Would it make me a fool to consider your words a third time, brother?"

And then Thor walked off, and Loki did not follow.

When Thor entered the medbay, his eyes fell to the girl. She was laid upon a bed, stretched out and breathing at a normal pace, as far as Thor could tell. One of his healers was looking at a datapad that had a silhouette of a body on the screen. Thor did not want to bother her as she was frantically maneuvering her fingers over the datapad, deep in thought. His eyes traveled around the room, and the only occupants inside that he could see were Brunnhilde, who was leaning against the far wall and out of the way of the healer, but no Banner. He only momentarily wondered where his friend ran off to before he walked over to Brunnhilde for an update. He knew his friend would have ordered a status update on the girl when anything new had popped up.

When she noticed Thor approaching, she opened her mouth and got straight to the point. "Other than being a pile of skin and bones, she's completely healthy. No scratches, bumps, or bruises in sight. Lucky little girl, if you ask me, that ship saw better days."

"Lucky indeed," Thor agreed. His eyes wandered back to the girl again, his mind racing over Loki's words and aversion from earlier. The girl looked so frail lying on the cot, he couldn't fathom why Loki held such distaste over her, but Thor knew well than to judge someone by there looks. After everything his brother had done, Thor wondered to himself why he still felt vexed with the unusual way he conducts himself from time to time. This wasn't anything new, and yet he couldn't help but wonder about his brother. He knew he would never get a straight answer out of Loki when he wanted to hide something, and Loki would hide it to the bitter end, or reveal it if he could gain from it in some way. It was in his nature, even when they were children, he was always so conniving and cynical. And yet, after everything Thor knows of his brother, all the wrong-doings and lies, he still found himself pondering over his earlier words, analyzing his earlier argument of some sort of truth he may have overlooked. It was like him, hiding the truth in plain sight. Either it be in a riddle, or stated bluntly in a sea of ambiguity.

"You're being unusually quiet, my King." Brunnhilde's blunt voice brought him back out of his thoughts, drawing attention to her searching stare. "What could possibly be plaguing you so much that had you standing here for five minutes, staring rather intently at an unconscious _little _girl?" The way she said it had her insinuating something Thor found to be rather insulting.

"Loki," Thor spoke the name more harshly than he intended, and when Brunnhilde quirked her eyebrow in a way that showed she was intrigued, he continued, "He's made it known to me, numerously, his distaste for the girl. Insisting we should pitch her out through the airlock."

Brunnhilde smirked. "Sounds like he's jealous."

Thor blinked. "Why do you say that?"

"I don't say that. That brother of yours is strange, what goes on in his mind is anyone's guess. I'm usually keen on knowing most people motivations, but from what you'd told me about his past, other than his lineage of this adopted brothers of yours"-she gave him a long look, but Thor stood firm on not indulging that information unless it came directly from Loki himself-"I find him rather hard to read. From his actions that I've seen thus far, I'd say he should be the one we push out the airlock and forget he ever existed." She smirked at Thor's glower. "But there's nothing out there more cunning than a trickster, and cunningness is an attribute most lack in."

Thor pondered over her words for a moment. "So, there is value in Loki's words I should consider?"

"I didn't say that. A trickster operates like a coin flip. One side is cunning, the other is foolishness. If you ask me, Loki's coin falls more on the foolishness side. But then again, maybe his animosity is stemmed from jealousy, or maybe he realized he has a thing for little girls."

Thor visibly grimaced. "Loki most certainly does not have a thing for little girls, besides"-Thor stood up straighter and crossed his arms across his chest, staring at the unconscious girl-"she isn't that young."

"Looks young to me. That or she lived a very privileged life. No scars, blemishes, or callous on her skin. Probably had everything handed to her."

Thor gave a sideways glance. "Are you sure you're not the jealous one?"

Brunnhilde snorted before rolling her eyes. "Please. I rather live a life of war than a privileged one. That life is too easy and too boring for my taste."

"And yet on Sakaar, you spent most of your time drinking the world away. If I'm not mistaken, you're living there was rather fruitful."

Brunnhilde rolled her eyes before glowering at Thor. "I drank a lot, but I worked to drink as much as I could. I still had to bring in new contestants daily, and finding new ones to last more than a minute against Hulk was a challenge all on its own."

"Yes. A challenge indeed. Just kidnap anyone who fell through the anus wormhole, uh, thing, electrocute them endlessly into compliance, and sign them up for eternal slavery while reaping the benefits from their unwilling participation-did not make for an easy life."

"Someone's still holding a grudge. Not very becoming for a King."

Thor opened his mouth with a retort but quickly shut it before he could utter a word. This was only a playful banter, no need to sully it with a retort that could do more harm than good. Thankfully, before he could scramble to come up with a more harmless response, one where he wasn't being an ass, Banner finally popped into the medbay, his arms full of clothing and food, and a jug of water.

He dropped the articles onto a nearby table near the unconscious girl, saying 'you're welcome' and 'it wasn't a problem' to the healer.

"Has she stirred yet?" Banner asked when he stepped away from the pile so the one healer could sort out what he brought.

"Not yet, but from the scans we were able to conduct with this primitive tech, I can deduce she'll be waking up soon."

"Primitive." Banner's voice held a bit of resentment, probably seeing that the tech was more advanced than what he was used to using. "Of course. I'll just, uh, wait, over here, until she wakes up. I'd like to be here when she does if that is okay with you?"

The healer smiled at Banner warmly before turning back to her task. "Of course. You are always welcome here, Bruce Banner."

When Banner turned away, his eye fell on Brunnhilde and Thor across the room. "Ah, your back. Were you able to find out what happened?" Banner asked as he made his way over to him, rubbing his shoulder in that nervous gesture Thor had noticed in the past.

Thor nodded. "As it turns out, our friend here has an unusual healing ability. That, and an unusual take on victimhood considering she rather heal her kidnappers than save herself."

Brunnhilde snorted. "Young and foolish."

"What do you mean by unusual healing abilities?" Banner ignored the snide comment, opting to get as much information as possible on his patient. "And she was kidnapped?"

"The two fellows that I have stationed in our holding cell told me they were contracted to kidnap an artifact from someone who held great power"-Thor only momentarily paused when realization dawned on him, but he continued with the intent of confronting Loki later-"but when they arrived at their destination, the only thing they were able to pick up on the scanner was that girl. After a debate, they kidnapped her."

"Just like that?" Banner question in disbelief.

Thor understood his disgust. "They were getting paid a lot. If it's any consolation, Phil-the pink alien," Thor clarified when he noticed Banner's confused look, "holds a lot of guilt. He didn't agree with the kidnapping."

"But still," Banner began while shaking his head and crossing his arms, disgust outlining his voice, "to kidnap someone from their home… that's just wrong. They have no moral high ground. Bastards. Even if they did regret it, they still went through with it."

"I agree. Why I locked them up. But Phil did argue before agreeing to it. When they took her, they locked her up with no food for three days. Phil once again commented that her state deteriorated faster than what was normal for a human, but he believes it's because of her unusual power."

"You did say she had healing abilities, go on." Banner commented, his hand now cupping his chin as he awaited the information.

"They were ambushed by an unknown ship when they went to warp, they were blasted, and because they already had warp locked, they couldn't stop the warp jump from ripping their ship in half," Thor began, staring at the ground as he summarized what was told to him. "The life support was instantly engaged, but a fire broke out, wounding the kidnappers. The cell that was holding the girl broke apart during the blast. Somehow she was able to get out of her bindings and instead of engaging the distress signal and leaving the two kidnappers to die of their injuries, or even push them through the life support shield into space, she healed them. In order to heal them, however, she somehow was able to transfer their wounds onto her, including old scars, where they healed on her own body. But as she healed, she grew gaunter and withered to the state we see her in now. Whatever power she used to heal them, it took a heavy toll on her body."

Banner hummed. "It does make sense," he deduced, tightening his hold on his chin as he thought it through. "You can't restore mass without mass. To restore the burned skin, she used the fat cells in her body in exchange for new and healthy skin." Then, Banner began to pace, rambling on as he thought it through. "The implications this power holds is unimaginable. Is it a cellular mutation, or is it something similar to Wanda's condition? If only I had a microscope and a skin sample. If it's a mutation-"

"Banner."

"-the application of such a mutation, essentially because she's human, too, could advance everything we know about cellular regeneration by thousands of years-"

"Banner!"

Banner finally stopped pacing, now noticing that Thor and Brunnhilde were no longer in front of him across the room, but now by the girls' side. Thor looked back at Banner when he finally stopped rambling.

"She's waking up."

Banner was at her side too, leaning over her as he watched her eyelids flutter. Brunnhilde stayed off to the side but kept a firm grip on her sword. Despite her not trusting a word from Loki, she was still wary of the possibility that this girl posed a danger, and Loki was just being an ass and not speaking out about her possible threat. Despite her fragile disposition, anyone could fight if desperate enough.

Or if angered enough.

Thor and Banner peered down on her face, watching as the girls' eyes fluttered, stopped, fluttered again, and then finally, and painstakingly slowly, opened ever so slightly.

And then they widened.

And then she screamed.

* * *

**(Auhor's note: And here is the next chapter! I want to try and update once a week, and to do that, the chapters will probably only be about 3k words long. Usually, the last chapter and this chapter would update as one, but I would take a longer time to proofread it and therefore it would have been longer than 2 weeks to update.**

**Let me know if you guys like this chapter or not, and if everyone is in character.**

**Also, thank you to the people who reviewed! Reading your reviews really helps motivate me in writing the next chapter. :) **

**Oh, and before I forget, I updated some details last wednesday in the last chapter, but you don't have to go reread since the details didn't add anything new to the story.)**


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